House of the week: A four-bedroom single home on a quiet street in Germantown for $389,000

When Emil Duffy and his wife, Sarah Lopez, were house hunting in Germantown in 2021, they were drawn to an unusual property: a single home next to a vacant lot on an otherwise settled street.

The couple bought both the house and the lot — which they later learned had previously been the site of their house’s attached twin — and turned it into a huge backyard.

They had been renting in Germantown, so they were already familiar with the area. “We really enjoy the green space and historic architecture,” said Duffy, a data analyst for an online grocery company.

But wanting to be closer to Duffy’s family, he and Lopez, support staff for a radiology center, have moved to the suburbs.

Duffy said the house was in good shape when they bought it, but they reshingled the roof, added new central air, and renovated the second-floor bathroom.

The 2,987-square-foot house, built in 1930, has four bedrooms and 2½ baths.

Entry is through a covered porch, and the first floor has an open-concept plan.

The living room has a stone-faced wood-burning fireplace. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, a large island, and Shaker-style cabinets.

All four bedrooms have hardwood floors and large windows to let in natural light. Three bedrooms and one full bathroom are on the second floor, and the primary suite, including a spa-like bathroom with a walk-in, glass-enclosed shower, is on the third floor.

The fully finished basement provides extra living space and contains the laundry area.

The large, tree-lined, fenced backyard has a 400-square-foot paver patio with a sitting wall.

The house is in the commercial center of Germantown with two regional rail stations close by, as well as nearby access to hiking trails, which Duffy and Lopez enjoyed.

The house is listed by Katy Hill-Ott of the Redfin Corp. for $389,000.